Rachel Carson Reserve, Beaufort: Photos, Reviews & Location

Coastal nature reserve featuring several islands, salt marshes, wild horses & other wildlife.

At a glance

#3 of 4 Tourist attractions in Beaufort

LocalGuideWorld score: 4.80

2.8 km from the center of Beaufort

Rating breakdown

5 ★86%
4 ★10%
3 ★2%
2 ★0%
1 ★1%

Front St, Beaufort, NC 28516, United States

deq.nc.gov

+1 252-838-0886

Photos of Rachel Carson Reserve (47)

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Rachel Carson Reserve, Beaufort – photo 1

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Rachel Carson Reserve, Beaufort – photo 12

Quick facts

What is the rating of Rachel Carson Reserve?: Rachel Carson Reserve is rated 4.8 out of 5 based on 336 reviews.
How does Rachel Carson Reserve rank in Beaufort?: Rachel Carson Reserve is #3 of 4 Tourist attractions in Beaufort by LocalGuideWorld score (rating weighted by number of reviews).
Where is Rachel Carson Reserve located?: Front St, Beaufort, NC 28516, United States — 2.8 km from the center of Beaufort.
How can I contact Rachel Carson Reserve?: Phone: +1 252-838-0886 · Website: deq.nc.gov

Reviews (8)

Wendy Greathouse 2023 Aug 27

Walked a bit and found a horse! Had a little.luck with shelling. Saw a baby sea turtle and baby ray in the water. Very nice place!!

Chances Paine 2023 Jun 15

We anchored in Beaufort by Carrot Island (easy access to the restaurants and beach). The water way was busy, with 12 plus boats anchored nearby and moving traffic. At night the anchorage was quiet with cool spring breezes. Made my day when we saw the wild horses.

Keith Duncan 2023 Jan 25

Rachel Carson Reserve is easily accessible from Beaufort with your own small boat or via the ferry service. The trails are flat and sandy. Some areas will get your feet wet, particularly at high tide. You can access Bird Shoal on the south side but you will need to wade in ankle deep water to cross over.

The tide runs quick through Taylor Creek so swimming over from Beaufort is not recommended without a boat escort. Rowing over in my dinghy was no problem.

Be cautious of the wild horses. On the narrow sections of the trails, make a little noise so as not to startle them with your approach.

Jenn Y 2023 Jan 21

We kayaked over to the island and had an absolute blast, we walked the island and only seen the horses in the distance but decided to stop and take some pictures and up behind us walked 4 beautiful horses, we got some awesome pictures then just stood there and watched them walk over to the other part of the island. This was just an amazing adventure we will definitely be coming back. The kayak ride over was so peaceful and the water was so pretty and clear.

Liz Wilson 2022 Jul 29

We took the ferry to bird shoals . So peaceful and beautiful on the island . Lots of beautiful birds. We saw a little sand shark too. Highly recommend visiting.

Kelly & Rembrandt DOODOOMCDOODLEDERP 2022 Mar 09

So much fun and a hike. The horses are incredible! These wild horses are so much larger than expected. Had a great time chosing my own adventure without employees or tour group!

Grace Wichrowski 2018 Jul 10

Beautiful place to spend a summer day exploring! You can get here by boat, kayak, etc, and there is a shuttle you can pay to take over. When I went it wasn’t busy or crowded. It’s just you and nature right on the inlet. You can find shells and other creatures, watch boats come in and out of the inlet, and enjoy floating around in the water. It’s really a special place to go to get a bit closer to nature. People collect shells like whelks and sand dollars on the sand bars here.

Kristen Burch 2018 Mar 26

Carrot Island offers a nice, relaxing, family nature adventure. We saw the wild horses and they were beautiful. The hiking trails are nice, but there really is horse poop everywhere. That is to be expected when you go to an island with wild horses. Fun and relaxing. I would definitely go back sometime. It also has a nice view of the historical Beaufort waterfront.